livingston



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(Model.)

I. LIVINGSTON. A. BLUM, A. WOLLENWEBER,

L. WESTHEIMER & H. GOHN.

COMBINATION LOCK.

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(ModeL) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

I. LIVINGSTON. A. BLUM,- A. WOLLENWEBER,

L. WESTHEIMER 8; H. COHN. COMBINATION LOCK.

No. 429,691. Patented June'lO, 189( :Jllllll kwgwgwg L BY zY/mwm IATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC LIVINGSTON, ADOLPH BLUM, AUGUST WVOLLENlVEBER, LEOPOLDVVESTHEIMER, AND HARRY COHN, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.; SAID VOL- LENVVEBERASSIGNOR TO SAID (JOHN, LIVINGSTON, BLUM, AND

VVESTHEIMER.

COMBINATION-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,691, dated June 10,1890.

Application filed August 1, 1889. Serial No. 319,389. (ModeL) To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ISAAC LIVINGSTON, ADOLPH BLUM, AUGUST WOLLENWEBER,LEoPoLD WEsTHEIMER, and HARRY CoHN, all of New York city, in the countyand State of New York, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinCombination-Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription. I I

Our invention relates to an improvement in looks, and has for its objectto provide a keyless lock especially adapted for use in connection withtraveling-bags, chatelainebags, and pocket-books, but which also may beused in connection with various other articlesas, for instance,furniture, desks, trunks, &c.; and a further object of the invention isto provide, in connection with the latch or keeper of the look, acombination capable of being variously set, and also to provide idleknobs corresponding in contour with the operative knobs, in order topuzzle a person or persons unacquainted with the lock and not authorizedto open the same.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters and figures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a valise or satchel frame open,illustrating the lock applied thereto, the parts of the lock being inposition to admit of one section of the frame being opened from theother. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the flange-section of the frame,illustrating the parts of the look as in the locked position. Fig. 3 isa bottom plan View of the frame and the parts of the lock. Fig. i is aside elevation of aportion of the frame, illustrating the trip-bar indotted lines in its two positions; and Fig.5 is an inside view of thatsection of the frame carrying the latches.

WVe have shown the invention applied to a valise-frame, the combinationand principal portions of the lock being located upon the inner face ofone section beneath the flanged top 11. To the edge of said framesection10 a series of spaced lugs 12 are secured or formed integral therewith,the center one being provided with a transverse slot 13, through whichthe shank of a knob or button 14 is passed to theinnerside and rigidlyconnected with the central or lower portion of the trip-bar 15, whichcentral portion of the bar is bowed downward to a contact with the lug,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the upper edge of the trip-bar, at its central point, a recess 16 isproduced to receive a post 17, forming, essentially, an integral portionof the inner side of the frame-section 10 and its flange. The trip-baris thus free to move a limited distance at each side of the post 17.There are two other similar posts 18 and 19 used in connection with thissection of the frame, one beinglocated at each side of the central post,as is shown in the said Figs. 1 and 2.

From the curved body of the trip-bar an arm is made to extend at eachside of the post 17 longitudinally of the frame-section 10, the outerextremities of which arms are thicker than their inner ends and thebody, as shown at a and a. The extremity aof the trip-bar is made toslightly incline downward, and the upper edge of this extremity isprovided with a concavity 20, an angular recess 21 being produced in thecorresponding edge of the extremity a. The concaved surface of thetrip-bar is adapted for contact with a spring pawl 22, secured to theflange 1.1 between the posts 17 and 18, and a similar pawl 23 isattached to the said flange of the frame-section between the posts 17and 19, which latter pawl is purposed to contact with the walls of therecess 21 in the trip-bar.

In the posts 18 and 19 rack-bars 24 and 25 are respectively held toslide longitudinally of the frame-section, and the inner ends of the twobars contact and slide one upon the other in the center post 17. Thesebars 24 and 25 have teeth 26 produced in both the upper and the loweredge between their ends, and in the upper edge of each bar, between theouter extremity and the last or outer tooth, a recess 27 is produced,through which recesses the heads 28 of angled latches 29 pass,

which latches are pivoted to the opposed frame-section 30, asillustrated in Figs. 3 and 5.

The body of the latches is usually pivoted at one end to theframe-section 3t), and extends longitudinally thereof in the directionof the center, being held in contact with a bracket 31 by a suitableform of spring '2, and the inner end of each latch is carried at a rightangle to the body in the direction of the opposed frame-section,terminating in a head 28, as aforesaid, which head is formed by bevelingthe under surface at the extremity and producing in the said undersurface a recess or groove The rack-bars 2i and 25 extend beyond theouter posts 18 and 19, and each bar at its outer extremity is providedwith an ear or projection 34, and to the said ear or projection one endof a spring 35 is secured, the other ends of the said springs beingattached to the posts 18 and 19, respectively, as illustrated in Figs.1, 2, and 3. These springs normally hold the rack-bars in the lockedposition illustrated in Fig. 2, and the combination is controlled moreor less by a pin 36 passed through one of a series of apertures 37,formed between the outer end and the first teeth of each bar, or theouter end and the recess 21.

In the lugs 12, located upon the right and upon the left of the centrallug, a spindle 3.) is pivoted, having attached to their outer ends aknob 40, whereby the spindles are turned, and to the inner ends a button41 is attached, the said buttons being adapted for contact with theunder set of teeth of the rackbars.

To the extremity a of the trip-bar a thin angled plate 42 is rigidlysecured, the outer edge of the vertical member whereof is preferablybeveled to slide beneath the inner end of a spring lock bar or plate 43,attached at its outer end only to the frame-section 10. This lock-plate4:3 is manipulated by an attached stud l which stud projects outwardthrough one of the lugs 12 and a knob 45, rigidly attached to the outerface of the lug, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The outer end of this stud atis preferably so located in the knob that it cannot be readily seen by acasual observer. In fact, it partakes of the nature of a secret: spring,and no portion of the lock can be operated without the spring beingfirst manipulated.

Buttons or knobs similar to the knobs -15, l0, and 14c are preferablyplaced upon the outer side of the frame-section 30 and upon the top ofthe flange, all the knobs appearing to be alike, the object of thisbeing to baffle any one attempting to work out the combination and openthe bag. The combination is effected by so setting the raclebars thatcertain revolutions of the knobs 40 are necessary to carry the said barsinward until the recesses 27 therein are brought from the position shownin Fig. 2 to the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and when in the latterposition the recessess are immediately opposite the latchheads 28,whereby the latter are free to be drawn outward.

In the combination illustrated,to place the rack-bars in position topermit the frame to be opened,the left-hand knob must be turned untilthe button l1, which acts as a dog, carries the bar 2i inward a distanceof four teeth, and the knob upon the right is turned until the bar 25has been carried inward a distance of two teeth.

The combination may be changed at any time by placing the pins 36 indifferent apertures 37 in the rack-bars. For instance, if the left-handbar is to be thrown inward five teeth to open the lock and theright-hand bar three teeth, the pin 36 is placed in the sixth aperturefrom the end of the bar 24 and the pin of the bar 25 is placed in thefourth aperture from its end. The distance between the apertures equals,essentially, the distance between the teeth, and when the bars are inthe locked position the pins 36 bear, respectively, against the posts 18and 19.

W'hen the frame is locked,the upper edges of the rack-bars are locatedin the bottom rccess 33 of the latches. To open the frame, the stud 44is first pressed inward, and this forces inward the locking'plate 13.The central knob 14 is then slid to the right, whereupon the thin angledappendage 42 of the trip-bar passes between the free end of thelocking-plate and the frame, and this movement of the trip-bar permitsthe pawls 22 and 23 to ride down the walls of the recess 21 andconcavity 20 of the trip-bar to engage the upper teeth of the rack-bars,as shown in Fig. 1. The knobs 40 are now manipulated to carry therack-bars to their proper position for unlocking, which is when theirrecesses 27 are opposite the latch-heads. When the rack-bars are solocated, the two framesections may be separated or opened.

As the springs 35 have been compressed by the inward movement of therack-bars to lock the frame or place the parts in the proper lockedposition, the trip-bar is simply moved to the left through the medium ofthe knob let, as with this movement the pawls are carried out of contactwith the rack-bars, and the springs 35, acting automatically, draw thesaid bars to their normalposition. If the frame-section 30 is now closedupon the section 10, the latch-heads spring over the rackbars to anengagement therewith, and if the two sections have been closed prior tomoving the trip-bar to the left the rack-bars slide inward in thegrooves 33 of the latchheads 28. (See Fig. 3.) It is impossible to turnthe buttons 41 but slightly in the proper direction to open the framewhen the frame sections are locked together and the trip-bar has notbeen moved to the right, as the revolution of one button is decidedlylimited by contacting with the extremity of the memher a of thetrip-bar, and the movement of the other button is likewise limited bycontacting with the lower end of the angled-arm attachment or appendage42 of the said tripbar.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In a lock, the combination, with a lockbar,and a sliding trip-bar, of a keeper-bar whose movements are controlledby the tripbar, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a spring lock-bar and a sliding trip-bar, of aspring-actuated keeper-bar, and a dog adapted for contact with the saidkeeper-bar, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a spring lock-bar and a sliding trip-bar, of aspring-actuated toothed and recessed keeper-bar, and a dog adapted forcontact with the toothed surface of the said keeper-bar, substantiallyas shown and described.

4. The combination, with a spring lock-bar, a sliding trip-bar, andspring-actuated keeperbars, of spring-pawls capable of contacting withthe trip-bar and keeper-bars, and revoluble dogs capable of contactingwith the said keeper-bars, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

5. The combination, with a spring lock bar or plate capable of lateralmovement at one end, a sliding trip-bar having an indented upper edge,and spring-actuated keeper-bars having a recess in the upper edge andteeth integral with the lower edge, of spring-pawls contacting with thekeeper-bars and the indented surface of the trip-bar, and revoluble dogscontacting with the toothed surface of the said keeper-bars,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, with a spring lock bar or plate capable of lateralmovement at one end, a sliding trip-bar having anindented upper surface,and spring-actuated keeper- 'bars having a recess in the upper edge andteeth integral with the lower edge, of springpawls contacting with thekeeper-bars and the indented surface of the trip-bar, adjusting-pinslocated in the keeper-bars, whereby their movement in one direction islimited, andrevoluble dogs contacting with the toothed surfaces of thekeeper-bars, all combined for operation substantially as shown anddescribed.

ISAAC LIVINGSTON. ADOLPH BLUM.

AUG. WOLLENVVEBER. TJEOPOLD WVESTHEIMER. HARRY COHN.

\Vitnesses:

' E. M. CLARK,

C. SEDGWICK.

